1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that has an ink supply needle, which is inserted into and connected to an ink outlet port of an ink cartridge, and a waste ink introduction needle, which is inserted into and connected to a waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge, in a cartridge mounting portion, on which the ink cartridge is mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an ink jet recording apparatus, waste ink that does not contribute to recording (printing) occurs at the time of a head cleaning operation of a printing head that is performed so as to prevent degradation of printing quality due to ink clogging or an ink filling operation after replacement of an ink cartridge. A waste ink storage structure that collects waste ink is required so as to prevent waste ink from being unexpectedly stuck to a mechanism in the ink jet recording apparatus or the like.
An ink jet recording apparatus having the following configuration (for example, see JP-A-11-70672) has been suggested. That is, in an ink cartridge that is detachably mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus, a waste ink storage space in which an ink absorption member for absorbing waste ink is installed, and a waste ink introduction port for receiving waste ink to the waste ink storage space from the outside are added. Further, in a cartridge mounting portion, on which the ink cartridge is mounted, an ink supply needle that is inserted into and connected to an ink outlet port of the ink cartridge, and a waste ink introduction port that is inserted into and connected to the waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge are provided.
In such an ink jet recording apparatus, a cap that covers a printing head and receives waste ink to be discharged from a printing head at the time of a head cleaning operation of the printing head or an ink filling operation after replacement of the ink cartridge is provided. Further, in the cap, a waste ink feeding pump that discharges waste ink discharged from the printing head from the cap is provided. An outlet port of the waste ink feeding pump is connected to the waste ink introduction needle through a flexible waste ink feeding tube, and thus waste ink is collected into the waste ink storage space of the ink cartridge, to which the waste ink introduction needle is connected.
By the way, in the ink jet recording apparatus that uses the ink cartridge having the waste ink storage space described above, when the waste ink feeding pump operates for the head cleaning operation or the like, the ink cartridge may be unexpectedly removed, and the waste ink introduction needle may be separated from the waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge. Accordingly, waste ink to be discharged by the waste ink feeding pump may flow into the apparatus, and the inside of the apparatus may be severely damaged.
In order to minimize such damages, up to the present, a cartridge attachment/detachment detecting sensor that detects when a mounting portion opening/closing cover that covers the front surface of the cartridge mounting portion is opened or when the user starts to move the ink cartridge in an ejection direction thereof after the mounting portion opening/closing cover is opened is provided. Then, when the above-described operations are detected, the operation of the waste ink feeding pump immediately stops.
However, even when the waste ink feeding pump stops, waste ink is filled into and remains in a flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle at that time. Accordingly, if the waste ink introduction needle is separated from the ink cartridge immediately after the waste ink feeding pump stops, waste ink remaining in the flow passage flows into the apparatus, and thus the inside of the apparatus is stained.